Newest Issue – Prepping for Baby

Parenting seems to be one place where the Boy Scout motto doesn’t apply. Sure, you can “Be Prepared,” but I’ve found that there are turns in the trail that couldn’t have been foreseen.

My son, for example, was nothing I imagined.

First, I hoped for a girl. Not only did our baby turn out to be a boy, he’s huge: 10 months, 25+ pounds, more than 30 inches tall, and busting percentiles all over the place. I certainly didn’t predict that my biggest challenge at this stage would be wrestling a kid with the personality of an infant, and the body of a toddler, into a car seat.

As you rub your belly and dream in these blissful months when any kind of kid is still possible, you could be registering for a baby food maker and cookbooks and bookmarking recipes online for organic millet and pureed pear

Then you give birth to a baby so picky his daily menu consists of two food groups: the Cheerios group and the boob group. Fortunately, there’s always Craig’s List for selling that baby gear you never use (haven’t you seen those ads from parents who buy a gorgeous crib and end up co-sleeping?). Like a freak thunderstorm at a Jamboree, what you never imagined can momentarily dampen your excitement about being a new mom. But, just as with lightning and rain showers, you can find the beauty in that which you least expected. And plenty of things will turn out just as you planned, of course, which is why it’s great to have this issue to give you the confidence that you can tackle everything from finding a doctor to getting your body back. Think of it as your back-pocket guide to surviving the first year.

For a limited time, you can see our latest issue for free in your browser window. Just click on the image below or subscribe.

Kendra Smith is Pregnancy magazine’s editor in chief. Her son was born in December 2011 and she can hardly believe where the time went. In addition to her expertise on this exciting phase in a women’s life, she’s a big believer in all things green, from cars (she drives a hybrid) to composting (yes, even her son’s diapers). As a licensed skin care professional, she also blogs about natural beauty at theskindetective.com.

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